'That's odd, them clutching each other like that, did they die in there sleep holding each other?' Tribim moves the dancing lights around so he gets a good look at both the alcoves and the ceiling where the light is coming in. He then moves toward the bodies, asking no one in particular. "These folks look like they died in each others arms, I wonder if they were asleep." He carefully inspects each body, looking for a cause of death, and any interesting possessions.
Amarekashu hung bag for a moment, using Detect Magic and his own senses to search for anything dangerous. Magic was an obvious culprit, but certain gases or fungal spores could have alarming effects too.
'That's odd, them clutching each other like that, did they die in there sleep holding each other?' Tribim moves the dancing lights around so he gets a good look at both the alcoves and the ceiling where the light is coming in. He then moves toward the bodies, asking no one in particular. "These folks look like they died in each others arms, I wonder if they were asleep." He carefully inspects each body, looking for a cause of death, and any interesting possessions.
[dice=heal]1d20+1
The bodies had nothing more than rags on them. Tribim thought they might be the sort of clothes given to slaves.
'Probably just slaves, looks like a terrible way to die.' Tribim moves from body to body. "I think these may have been slaves. I don't know much biology, can anyone tell how they Died?"
Reign didn't know much either, but he takes a look anyway.
Reign didn't know much either, but he takes a look anyway.
[Dice=kn:biology, can make untrained]1d20+1
Regin really couldn't tell what caused the deaths.
Regin shrugs. No clue. Then again, I'm not a cleric.
Amarekashu shrugged. "Hopefully, when we find out, we shall deal with it better than they did." There was no point in being overly concerned about it. Additionally cautious, maybe, but it was possible one of the creatures they had already destroyed was the culprit.
Tribim points to the hole in the ceiling the light is pouring through. "I wonder if they came in through the hole in the ceiling. We should mark where it is so's if we need a second entrance we knows where one is."
He then begins to climb the rock wall toward the ceiling so he can look outside and make a mental note of the location.
Tribim points to the hole in the ceiling the light is pouring through. "I wonder if they came in through the hole in the ceiling. We should mark where it is so's if we need a second entrance we knows where one is."
He then begins to climb the rock wall toward the ceiling so he can look outside and make a mental note of the location.
Tribim came to the surface in a dry riverbed, with piles of loose rock and sand to either side that further shielded the hole from prying eyes.
huh, where have we heard about a river bed.' Tribim slips back through the hole and climbs back down the rock wall. "It exits to a dry riverbed, with piles of loose rock and sand to either side, sort of shields the hole from prying eyes."
Nodding back the way they came, "Do you blokes want to start moving rocks from in front of one of those alcoves or head back to the crypt?"
Namtar steps forward. Master, I can move some rocks. It might be wise to have a quick way out, if we need it.
The elf perks up at Trib's description. He turns and digs in his pack for a minute, before coming back out with a wax tablet. "That's what I thought - the tablet here listed the dry riverbed as a possible site of the tomb. Looks like whoever wrote this knew what they were talking about. Stands to reason that the third location they listed is probably accurate as well - I wonder where the fallen statue is?"
'Arundel is right, that does sound familiar.' Tribim nods his head in agreement. "Your right, that did sound familiar." Looking from Arundel to the others, "Do we want to leave and look for the fallen statue? Or return to the crypt? Or start moving rocks to see what's in these other alcoves?"
"I think the fallen statue is interesting, but unnecessary to find right now. Let's see what else we can find here."
Amarekasu nodded and stripped off his coat so he wouldn't dirty the fabulous garment with rock dust. Not that it mattered - his magics could clean it - but it was the principle of the thing.
Regin strips off his upper armor before getting to work. Noone wanted to do this kind of work in full gear.
'Arundel is right, that does sound familiar.' Tribim nods his head in agreement. "Your right, that did sound familiar." Looking from Arundel to the others, "Do we want to leave and look for the fallen statue? Or return to the crypt? Or start moving rocks to see what's in these other alcoves?"
Zummabu's company spend several hours digging at the stone and dirt of the collapsed alcove not far from the entry they just discovered. Unfortunately, loose dirt and rock kept falling back where they dug. Progress came slowly and there always seemed to be more to dig.
Tribim, sets down the pinapple size rock he was carrying, "This looks like it will take all day. Do you guys want to go back to the crypt and pry it open? What's tha worst that could happen?"
Amarekashu considered this. "We release an ancient and power Lich who drains of life and will and reanimates our corpses as there playthings?" Wiping his forehead, the Oracle shrugged. "But it does seem like the next thing to try."
Namtar blanches. If that's possible, Master, i should be the one to open the crypt.
Tribim shrugs his shoulders, as he heads toward the crypt, "Ok, Namtar, you can open it, right after I get rid of the trap, and stop calling me Master."
Tribim returns to the room with the stairway and the sarcophagus and inspects the Sarcophagus to locate the trap again, taking his time he attempts to disable the trap on the sarcophagus.
Tribim has no trouble finding the faint etchings that mark the trap once more. He scraps at them in a few key places and the sleeping Art wakes to a glinting red for an instant before sighing away to nothing.
Namtar takes the lid and opens it with a heave of his thews. Within Zummabu's Company finds a dusty, empty space. It's only hollowed out to a depth of a few inches.
Rein huffs. Figures. We're running out of not-suicidal places to visit.
'empty, figures.' The look of excitement leaves Tribim's face as Namtar opens the empty sarcophagus. Putting his hand inside, "I's not even deep enough for a body. Someone's playing games with us."
Nodding the other direction, "Well, do we try and figure out the lanterns and elevators or do we head back to tha water?"
"The water still makes me nervous, but I'm not sure what else to suggest."
I'm for the lanterns, I guess. Regin shrugs. Though I'm not sure how much more we can do with that.
Namtar nods Ya, the lanterns!
'Wow, Namtar didn't call Regin Ald Master when he agreed to look at the laterns. Maybe he's beginning to understand.' Apparently for no reason, Tribim smiles a stupid smile. "Well then boys the lantern's it is."
Tribim toddles off to where the laterns were at, looking at them again. "Were there anymore elevators we could call up?"
'Wow, Namtar didn't call Regin Ald Master when he agreed to look at the laterns. Maybe he's beginning to understand.' Apparently for no reason, Tribim smiles a stupid smile. "Well then boys the lantern's it is."
Tribim toddles off to where the laterns were at, looking at them again. "Were there anymore elevators we could call up?"
Zummabu's company see about placing their lanterns in the right position and lighting each, the work of a few moments that leaves only the lantern that should be red missing. Nothing out of the ordinary happens in the sarcophagus chamber.
Sighing, Amarekashu considered. "Who else suspects the red lantern sits at the bottom of that water?" Considering further, he examined the lanterns, looking at their construction and materials...and if they radiated a certain type of magic. Perhaps they could assemble something to replace it.
Tribim looks from Amarekashu to Namtar then to Arundel and Regin Ald, "Well I guess it's back to tha pool then."
As the Halfling toddles that way, sending his dancing lights ahead, he asks, "Well does anyone have any ideas? Should we just bum rush tha watery fellow before he knows what hits him?"
Once return to the level with the broken statue and the food bowl, He then stops and looks at Arundel, "Or would it help if we stopped and rested, changing spells and rejuvenating?"
Arundel frowns in thought. "I don't have too much, even in my spellbook, to deal with an underwater fight against a water elemental. However, I could certainly aquire certain spells that would help back in town. Should we head back, report our findings, and return better equipped to deal with underwater exploration?" The elf shrugs to his own question. "Or we could just charge in and hope we can overpower it by strength alone. Though if we do that, it would probably be best to rest first and go in at full strength."
Regin looks less than enthusiastic at the prospect of fighting an elemental in it's native environment. I feel as if we are running out of not-suicidal things to do. I am of half a mind to report back and re-enter better prepared for what this place has to offer.
Sighing, Amarekashu considered. "Who else suspects the red lantern sits at the bottom of that water?" Considering further, he examined the lanterns, looking at their construction and materials...and if they radiated a certain type of magic. Perhaps they could assemble something to replace it.
The lanterns were precisely made. Amarekashu believes their crafter took pains to ensure they matched in every detail save the color of their glass. They bore the faint imprint of sleeping Art of the abjuring sort, each in particular spots including the loop that attached to the chain and other spots roughly equidistant along the sides. He believes that the auras are the impression of a long-ago keying magic. If each lantern intersected with a spell-field thus and bore just the right matching enchantments, then it should create a resonance that might trigger other Art.
The entire configuration is slightly off, though. The more he looks the more convinced he becomes that it's not just the lantern itself needed. Some energy source must be required to give the standing Art the slightest nudge to connect. A fire might work, or an enchanted item, but the spell-field would drink from both over long eons until they dwindled to nothingness. Of course normal fires would burn away long before then.
Tribim looks from one adventurer to the other, shrugging his shoulders. "So Is that the consensus? I'm more than happy to head back to town and report in."
"Should we bring a lantern back with us? Perhaps we could learn more about it back in town with Zummabu's help."
Amarekashu considered. "I'm not sure if we can replicate it. The lanterns details are quite exact, and there's some kind of enchantment that might not be simple - or cost effective - to replicate. It's a little risky, but I feel hunting out the last one will be more effective."
Masters, Was there any place that we started to explore, but did not?
'Shoot I thought we had broken that habit, back to the drawing board.' Tribim looks Namtar, thinking for a moment, "Tha only place I can remember is in the pool of water at the end of the stairs, where the water creature was." Shrugging his shoulders, "But there maybe someplace else, Oh and stop calling us masters."
Looking from Arundel to Amarekashu, "Taking a lantern back may be a good idea, but I wouldn't want to wait while it was replicated."
Looking to Regin Ald, "If we go back, what would we bring back with us? I'm sure there is some kind of magic that can help, but could we afford it? Also If we leave what if someone beats us to the answers. I really want to be the one to open this crypt."
He shrugs his shoulders, "We just need to decide. Rest here and start fresh with the water creature in the morning, or head back and report in and ask for help."
'I hate to disagree with Arundel and Regin Ald.' He looks at his feet, not liking the idea of disagreeing with his friends. "I would like to stay here and rest up then try the water creature in the morning. If we can't defeat it the second time then go back with a lantern."
'Good this will make him stop relying on the 'masters' Looking up at his gladiator friend He smile, "Well Namtar, were two votes to go, two votes to stay. going to have to vote to decide what we do."
Namtar shakes his head "no". Oh.. I couldn't. I don't know anything.. about.. this. I've never been out of Dalath until Master Zummabu told me to.
He rubs the back of his neck and shrugs, his massive shoulders send muscles rippling. Well... we haven't looked everywhere.But, maybe someone knows something. We could do both.
Namtar shakes his head "no". Oh.. I couldn't. I don't know anything.. about.. this. I've never been out of Dalath until Master Zummabu told me to.
He rubs the back of his neck and shrugs, his massive shoulders send muscles rippling. Well... we haven't looked everywhere.But, maybe someone knows something. We could do both.
"Are you suggesting we try our hand against the elemental one more time, in the morning, and then return to town?" The elf shrugs. "If everyone else wants one more go at the water creature, then I shall do what I can to prepare for that. We should definitely rest before going in, though."
That sound reasonable. Very well. Let's prepare to face it.
Amarekashu smiled grimly. "Yes, let us prepare."
OK Masters! Namtar looks around for a place to sleep after everyone else is settled in.
'Fresh in the morning sounds like a good idea.' While Tribim pulls off his ruck sack and begins to lay out his bed roll, he turns, looking at the bite marks on his legs, he asks. "Can any of you fella's help heal any of these bites or burns, I would like to be in proper fighting form in the morning for the water thingy."
Once any healing is offered he eats a little of the dried figs he brought offering some to the rest of the party and then ask. "Should we keep a watch? Just in case the water creature comes looking for us?"